· De Espaldas al Mar· Short Film · 2026· Original language Spanish · subtitles English Written and directed by Francesca Willbrand, de Espaldas al Mar is a short film about resilience, personal struggle, and the search for hope in the face of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss. Through the story guides us Rafael Fernandez, a passionate activist and diver from Caribean who, during a challenging period in his life finds a renewed sense of purpose through his connection with the ocean and the community that form around the ocean. Through Rafael’s story, we discover how, out of necessity and desire to respond to the changing state of the ocean, he founded buceoEcológico — a growing community dedicated to coral conservation. What begins as an individual response gradually becomes a collective effort. Rafael and the team teach sustainable diving and marine ecology, while he and the group volunteers monitor, protect, and restore coral reefs. Set between Santo Domingo and the coral reefs of Baní, Espaldas Al Mar is a story about finding strength through action and community. De Espalda al Mar · DIRECTOR: Francesca Willbrand CINEMATOGRAPHER: Josias Dominguez UNDERWATER CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrés Miolan UNDERWATERCAMMERA B: Neury Laurencio EXCLUSIVE PRODUCER: Francesca Willbrand PRODUCER: Josias Dominguez CAST: Rafael Ferndandez Sheyling Alvarado Bani Rivero Gilberto Calderon Arianne Cordero Sofía Toirac Eliu Rijo Paula Perez EDITOR: Francesca willbrand DIT: Josias Dominguez ORIGINAL MUSIC: Jalsen Santana SOUND DESIGN: Josias Dominguez COLOURIST: Francesca Willbrand SCRIPT: Francesca Willbrand MADE FOR: https://www.buceoecologico.com LOCATION: Dominican Republic Santo Domingo & Bani SPECIAL THANKS: Jalsen Santana Buceo ecologico José Francisco Domínguez Danauris Arredondo Cathy LAW Oma Hilde Willbrand
Filmemacher/in: Francesca Willbrand
Dauer/Jahr: 03:30min / 2026
Webseite: https://www.francescawillbrand.de